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Research shows they can expect about a 10 to 15 percent drop in milk production when
temperatures are high.

With temperatures in the 90s for the past several days, central Ohio dairy farmers are using
various strategies to make sure their cows stay cool, or they risk an even sharper decline in milk
production.

There are three ingredients for keeping cows healthy and cool in the scorching heat — water,
shade and airflow, said Jeffrey Firkins, an expert in animal sciences and nutrition at Ohio State
University Extension.

“A lot of farmers know this (heat) is an issue, and they need to protect their investment,” he
said.

Andy Miedema, owner of Miedema Dairy in Circleville, has about 850 cows that he needs to
protect.

His barn is built with that in mind. It has high ceilings with ridges to promote airflow.

Miedema uses an automatic milking machine that the cows are hooked up to about eight times a
day. But before they start getting milked, they gather in a holding pen and are sprayed by a
sprinkler to get cooled off. After about five minutes of milking, they move back into the barn,
where large overhead fans circulate the air. Employees regularly replenish water so cows can stay
hydrated.

During a heat wave, the cows’ milk production fluctuates. That’s because cows are a bit like
humans in how they behave when they’re hot: They lie around and don’t eat much.

Heat stress can cost the dairy industry more than $1 billion a year, Firkins said.

“Cows need to eat, but they just lay down, and we can’t force them to eat,” said Caleigh Payne,
a recent OSU graduate who is conducting research at Miedema Dairy about calving.

Miedema said milk production fell about 7 percent on Wednesday as the result of the heat. He
expects that production will fall about 10 percent today. A cow on Miedema’s farm that provided
105.3 pounds of milk on July 9 produced only 91.5 pounds on Wednesday.

In 2011, Ohio’s dairy cows produced 5.14 billion pounds or more than 605 million gallons of
milk, ranking the state 11th in total milk production nationally, according to Ohio Dairy Farmers,
an industry group.

People in the dairy industry know that heat stress is going to happen each summer.

Tadd Stephens, the quality-assurance manager at the United Dairy Inc. processing plant, noticed
that dairy farmers have brought in less in recent days.

“But this is pretty common in the summer,” he said. “We expect it.”

Shipley Farms, which also takes its milk to United Dairy, has been able to keep up its daily
milk production of about 75 pounds per day for each of its cows.